The Friends of the Gallery

The Friends of The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery share a love of art and a commitment to education. They are a dynamic group of alumnae and friends who nourish their interest in the visual arts and support students through gallery exhibitions and programming at St. Catherine University.

about the friends

Meaningful Support

Kathleen Daniels ’73, former director of The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, began The Friends of the Gallery in 1993. The group was established to provide financial support to students in the studio art and art history programs, supplement costs related to gallery programming and provide additional funding for preservation of the University’s Fine Art Collection. Since its inception, The Friends of the Gallery have supported:

Yearly Friends of the Gallery Awards that financially recognize students majoring in studio art and art history for exceptional work in their disciplines.

Honorariums for guest speakers, including visiting artists who traveled from Great Britain for the U.S. premiere of Iron Maidens, a 2011 exhibition at the gallery.

Professional development for studio art majors, which prepares them to write grants, apply to graduate school and seek employment.

Production costs for various printed materials such as the University's brochure promoting the “Women and the Arts Minor,” a new course of study developed to expand opportunities in the arts for St. Catherine University students. The Friends also provided financial support for a booklet created for the 2017 show, Vision + Vocation: St. Catherine Alumnae Invitational Exhibition.

Funds dedicated to the University’s Fine Art Collection, such as the restoration and framing of a large, abstract painting by Minnesota artist Cameron Booth; framing of contemporary prints by WARM artists Susan Fiene Brown and Mary Griep; and the restoration of the terra cotta sculpture, L’Orage, by the early 20th century Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha. Thanks to the generosity of the Friends, artwork in the collection has also been framed for exhibitions at The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery. Examples include nine rare works that were featured in the 2013 show, In the Light of Day, and over 20 prints exhibited in "Look at this, and look again, and see anew," a 2015 show paying homage to the art instruction and aesthetic of famed printmaker Sister Corita Kent.

friends membership

Join the Friends

The suggested donation for membership in The Friends of the Gallery is $25.00, but any amount makes you a Friend. To become a member, click JOIN & SUPPORT below or call Nicole Watson, Director of The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery: 651-690-6637.